Game apparatus



1,642,119 p 1927- LITTLEFIELD GAME APPARATU$ Filed Oct. 28. 1926 Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN G. LITTLEFIELD, OF GLENCOE, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed October 28, 1926. Serial No. 144,711.

This invention relates to game apparatus. It has to do particularly with games of the sort that are played with playing cards, and

which involve'various combinations and sequences' of play.

The general object of the inventlon 1s the provision of an apparatus with which games of the type indicated may be played, practiced or studied and various sequences of play compared.

A further object is the provision of an apparatus of the sort described which contains provision for the making of a record of the sequence of play of a hand so that different methods of playing a given hand may be studied and compared after it has been played in difl erent fashions.

Another object is the provision of an apparatus which will facilitate the study and 29 teaching of such games, through its provision for the keeping of a record of the sequence of play, said record being in a form permitting its separation from the rest of the apparatus, so that it may be submitted to an instructor for criticism or the like.

A further object is the provision of an apparatus of the sort described which is particularly adapted to the study and play of the game of whist, and the working out of problems in that game.

A further object is the provision of an apparatus of the sort described which admits of infinite variety in the hands played, and

'which may be" operated rapidly and with facility.

Other and further objects of the inven-.

tion will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the apparatus or its employment in practice.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, I illustrate one form in which the device and its component parts may be embodied, but it is to be understood that this is presented for purpose of illustration only, and is not to be construed in a fashion to limit the claims short, of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art. 1 V

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan or top view of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail showing one of the token holders with a token in place;

a game Fig. 3 is a perspective of a token holder; 55

Fig. 4 is a back view of a token holder with a token in place as it appears in one turned back position;

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of one form of token; and i Fig. 6 is a detail of a record strip;

Various games, such as some of the games customarily played with playing cards, involve a very great number of possible combinations and permutations of hands and sequences of play. An example of such games is the game of whist, which involves the playing of fifty-two cards at each deal from a distribution in four hands. Because of the very great number of combinations and permutations offered by such a game, both as to the distribution of the cards and the sequence in which they may be played, and its present wide spread popularity, it is given quite extensive and detailed study, and such, in fact, is necessary in order to acquire a mastery of the game. The present invention has been devised primarily for the purpose of facilitating the teaching of the game, but it possesses further utility in the practicing of play and the working out of problems presented by various hand combinations, and in any of these uses it possesses particular advantage by virtue of the physical association of the playing elements with a record portion whereon the sequence of play may be recorded to. form the basis of a comparison between thedifi'erent possible ways of playing a given hand.

In the illustrative form of device here shown, the numeral 10 designates a board of convenient size, adapted to, rest on a table or the like and provided, along its four sides, with a series of token holders. Inasmuch as the present example is designed for the game I of whist, these token holders are arranged, forthe reception of tokens constitutingthe, four hands, there being thirteen of said tokens in each hand, and the tokens respec- 1 tively corresponding to the respective cards 1, 00 of the whist deck. The form, of token holder illustrated comprises a. body. portion 11 afiording a pocket 12, anda Ushapedlink portion 14 with which said body por- 3-105 tion has hinge connection at one end. At its" other end the link has hinge connection with,

a' wire or a rod 15 which is mounted flat against the surface of the board. The token position which I will designate the played ill) ' dicated by the holder designated Z in Fig.

the jack of clubs.

position, that is a position indicating that it is played in the current trick. The 1 is what I will term the turned position, that is, in a position indicating that it has been played in a preceding trick. In the position designated the hand position, the link 14 lies against the surface ofthe board and projects from the anchor rod 15 toward the adjacent side of the board,while the body portion extends inwardly of the board from the end of the link. In the played position both the link and the body portion are swung inwardly of the board and lie against its surface, while in the turned position, the link is swung inwardly of the board and the body portion swung on the link to a position toward theadjacent edge of the board.

The token holders are adapted for reception of the tokens, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 5. These are small flat pieces, each bearing the designation of a respective playing card, that illustrated in Fig. 2 being the ten of diamonds, and that in Fig. '5 being Each token has a tongue portion 16 which is adapted to lit in the pocket 12 of a body portion, in such fashion that the token is securely held for movement with the holder, but may be withdrawn when desired, for the distribution and arrangement of the tokens in the various hands. Accordingly, the tokens may be assorted into the various hands either by a blind deal,

after being shufiled, or they may be distributed among the hands, for purposes of study or the working out of a problem, in accordance with a specified designation of the hands.

In association with each of the hands there is mounted on the board a record strip 17, which may be held in place by suitable push pins 18. This record strip preferably is arranged so that the holders overlie it when they are in the hand position. These record strips may be of paper, and bear suitable designations such as North, South, East and \Vest. indicative of the respective hands. It may be advantageous to provide them with record spaces, such as innumerals 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein the various bids made on the hand may be recorded. These record strips also afiord space for the enterin of the designation of the cards in the hall distributed to the four each marking being laced in association with the. holder carrying the token of that designation, as illustrated in association with the holder Y in Fig. 1. These strips also provide space for the entering of numerals designating the tricks in which the tokens are played, such as the numeral 1 in association with the holder marked Z in Fig. 1.

In the use of the apparatus, the tokens are hands and, in the event four persons are playing, the bidding will proceed in the customary fashion, each player entering his bid on the record strip pertaining to his hand. Then the play proceeds, the first player moving the selected holder with its token to the played position, and the succeeding players movin the holders carrying the cards which they elect to play on that trick in a similar manner. Each player then enters on his record strip the numeral 1, designating that that card was played in the first trick, the taker of the trick markin a circle about the numeral or otherwise in icating it as being the taking card. When all four players have played on a trick, they all turn the played holders from the played position to the turned position, as designated at Z on Fig. 1. The play thus proceeds, the record being entered on the record strip in association 'with the cards played on such tricks, viz, the numeral 2 being entered in association with the holder of the cards played on the second trick, the numeral 3 for those played on the third trick, and so on, and the played holders being turned to the turned position at the conclusion of the play of each trick. In this fashion the deal is played out and the record of the play entered. For purposes of practice or comparison of different systems 0 play, the holders may then be returned to the hand position, the tokens remaining in place, and the same hands again played, the order of play of the respective cards being entered in a second line on the record strip as before. It will be observed that in the hand position the holders or tokens cover the records of play previously entered, so that they cannot form a guide to the player or players.

For purpose of study or working out of problems, the apparatus may be operated in the same fashion by a single player or by two players, so that a complete record is made of the order of play in the various instances. When it is desired to play a hand having a different distribution of cards, the record strips pertaining to the previous play are removed and replaced with others. record strips, which thus carry on their faces a designation of the cards in the hands and the sequence of play, are thus available for study, or for submission to an instructor as a basis for criticism or further instruction.

By virtue of the inventlon, therefore, the

The

student ofthe game is provided with an apparatus whereby the order of play and distribution of the cards may be closely studied and followed and records made with certainty and facility as a basis for study or guidance. In the working out of aproblem, for example, the student of the game is thus afforded means for his guidance in avoiding mistakes made in previous trials and selection of alternative sequences of play.

What I claim is:

1. Game apparatus comprisin the combination of movable token hol ers, tokens for connection to the holders, and a record sheet for association with the holders.

2. Game apparatus comprising the combination of token holders mounted in ordinal association, said token holders movable to different positions individually while maintaining their ordinal association.

3. Game apparatus comprising token holders mounted in ordinal association. said token holders movable individually to diflerent positions while preserving their ordinal association, and a recordsheet associated with said token holders.

4. Game apparatus comprising token holders mounted in ordinal association, said token holders movable individual] Y to different positions while maintaine in said ordinal association, and a record sheet associated with said token holders in a osition wherein portions of it are covered y said token holders in one of their positions.

5. Game apparatus comprising the combination of a board, token holdersmounted thereon in fixed ordinal association, said token holders being individually movable to dififerent positions.

6. Game apparatus comprising a board having token holders mounted thereon in respective groups. said token holders being individually movable to different positions, and tokens for connection individually to respective token holders.

7. Game apparatus comprising token holders mounted in fixed ordinal association in respective groups, said token holders being individually movable. and tokens adapted for connection interchangeably with different holders.

8. Game apparatus comprising token holders mounted in fixed ordinal association in respective groups, tokens for connection interchangeably with different holders, and record sheets associated with respective groups.

9. Game apparatus comprising a board having token holders movably mounted in groups along its respective sides, and tokens adapted for connection interchangeably with the holders for movement therewith.

10. Game ap aratus comprising token holders having xed ordinal arrangement in groups, said holders being movable individ ing ually to three difi'erent positions, and tokens for connection individually to holders for movement therewith.

11. Game apparatus comprising token holders mounted in fixed ordinal association in groups, said token holders movable individually to three different positions, tokens adapted for connection individually with the holders, said tokens bearing designative markings, said markings being concealed when the holders are in one of said positions.

1.2. Game apparatus comprising token holders associated .in groups, tokens connected with said holders individually, said tokens having desi ative markings, said token holders mova le individually to different positions to expose and conceal said markings of their connected tokens.

13. Game apparatus comprisin the combination of supporting means, a p urality of indicators mounted in series arrangement on the supporting means, each indicator being individually movable to diflerent indicating positions, and a record sheet mounted on the su porting means in association with the in ica'tors.

14. Game apparatus comprising the combination of a supporting means, a plurality of indicators mounted in series arrangement on the supportin means, each indicator being movable in ividually to difierent indicatin positions, and a record sheet mounted on t e supporting means so that portions of the sheet are covered by the indicators when in one position.

15. Game apparatus comprising the combination of a series of indicators mounted for swinging movement, each indicator havdistinctive markings, each indicator swinging to different positions so as to expose or conceal said markings.

16. Game apparatus com rising the combination of a series of indicators mounted for swinging movement, each indicator having distinctive markings, each indicator swinging to different positions so as to expose or'conceal said markings, and a. record sheet associated with the indicators so that portions of the sheet are covered by the indicators when in one position.

17. Game apparatus comprising a board, a plurality of tokens having hinged connection therewith in series arrangement, said tokens adapted to be swung individually to difierent positions without varying their series relationshi 18. (Fame apparatus comprising a supporting means, a plurality of holders having hinged connection therewith in a series arrangement, a plurality of tokens adapted for connection interchangeably with respective holders and movable therewith to different positions individually without varying their series relationship.

'19. Game apparatus comprising the combination of supporting means, indicators having hinged connection therewith in fixed ordinal arrangement,'said indicators being movable individually to three different 0- sitions without varying their ordinal re ationship.

20. In game apparatus, a data sheet having markings thereon arranged in a collatera1 series, the respective markings being des lgnative of respective cards of the whi'st deck, said strip afiording entry spaces associated with the respective markings for re-- ception of notations.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' ALVIN G. LITTLEFIELD. 

